The card and chip detection system described herein is designed to detect if cards or chips are placed in a certain area on a gaming table. If the casino knows where and when chips or cards are on the table, then player tracking, dealer tracking, surveillance and pit management become very accurate. The casino will know an accurate count of how many total hands are dealt for providing free compensation (“comp”) and occupancy purposes. Also, dealer audits are accurate for evaluating dealer efficiency and speed. Security knows immediately when and where hands are being played for video surveillance. Unknown patrons are automatically logged into the system for tracking purposes.
The current hand or chip detection devices are all positioned on the table on top of the table felt, such as a button or light sensor. This is very inefficient for maintenance reasons since every time a felt is changed the device must be disconnected and removed from the table. Damage is more likely from the device being exposed on the table top.
Functionality of such known systems is also inhibited since the table top space is limited. The sensors or buttons can only be mounted in certain areas as not to affect or delay the dealing or payout of the game directly.